Colts GM Chris Ballard: Jonathan Taylor Situation 'Sucks' After Failed Trade Talks

The Indianapolis Colts failed to trade running back Jonathan Taylor ahead of their self-imposed Tuesday deadline, and now he will miss at least the first four games of the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

General manager Chris Ballard summed up the situation.

"The situation sucks," he told reporters. "It sucks for the Colts, it sucks for Jonathan Taylor, and it sucks for the fans. It's where we're at, and we're gonna work through it ... relationships are reparable."

That Ballard specifically mentioned "relationships are reparable" was notable given NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported in July that Taylor first requested a trade following a meeting with owner Jim Irsay.

Irsay told Albert Breer of The MMQB there would not be a Taylor trade and then took a strange turn when he told reporters, "If I die tonight and Jonathan Taylor is out of the league, no one's gonna miss us. The league goes on. We know that. The National Football (League) rolls on. It doesn't matter who comes and who goes, and it's a privilege to be a part of it."

Taylor's agent, Malki Kawa, also didn't seem pleased with the team's owner as the situation developed:

That left the Colts looking for a potential trade, but Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported they never received an offer of a first-round pick they were looking for in discussions.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported Indianapolis "made wild requests" during trade talks with the Miami Dolphins, including asking for star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Such a trade never materialized, and Ballard was left bemoaning the entire situation on Wednesday.

Taylor is on the PUP list after undergoing offseason ankle surgery after he appeared in just 11 games during the 2022 campaign. The injuries prevented him from building on his incredible 2021 season.

The 24-year-old led the NFL in carries (332), rushing yards (1,811), rushing touchdowns (18) and rushing yards per game (106.5) during that 2021 season.

Whether that version of Taylor will be on the field again in the future for the Colts remains to be seen, but he will be sidelined for at least the first four games.